There shall be 5 categories of membership: REGULAR MEMBER, HONORARY MEMBER and SUPPORTING MEMBER

SECTION 1:
Regular members shall be selected from amongst persons domiciled in Pakistan and actively engaged in the field of ethical organ transplantation or assisted care of transplanted patients.

SECTION 2:
Regular members shall be eligible to hold office in the Society and may vote for the election of officers and on all matters brought before the general assembly.

SECTION 3:
Admission to REGULAR MEMBERSHIP shall be gained by the submission of a membership application as determined by Council and sponsored by two members of the Society. The parameters of scientific, professional and ethical qualifications of the applicant for membership will be determined from time to time by the Council. Minimum qualification shall be completion of basic training in surgery, medicine, immunology or a related medical field to transplantation, an active participation in a transplant programme as a staff member. Preferably a regular member should have one scientific publication in a referred indexed journal to include first authorship in the article. Following approval by the membership committee and council, the application for membership will then be brought before the general assembly. Final election to membership will be by a two / third vote of the membership at the general assembly.

SECTION 4:
Candidate for HONORARY MEMBERSHIP will have to have a distinguished record in transplantation surgery, medicine or immunology and should have the unanimous support of the membership committee and the council before being presented to the membership for election by a two/third majority. Honorary members shall not be eligible to vote or to hold office.

SECTION 5:
Individuals, institutions or organizations offering substantial financial support to the society shall be eligible to become SUPPORTING MEMBERS. Supporting members who will not exceed 10% of the total members shall neither have the right to vote nor shall be eligible to hold office.

SECTION 6:
Regular members, supporting members and life members shall pay membership fees. This annual fee shall be Rs. 500 in Pak Rupees for regular, Rs. 100,000 in Pak Rupees for supporting members and Rs. 5000 in Pak Rupees for life members. The fee will be deemed to be due on first day of the year. Membership shall be forfeited if the fees are not paid for two consecutive years. Honorary members shall be exempted from the membership fee. Life members would pay only once.

SECTION 7:
Resignation addressed to the Council, death or default of payment shall cause membership in the Society to be terminated by the Council.

SECTION 8:
Membership may be terminated by the Council for conduct which in the sole judgment of the Council is unethical or injurious to the reputation, interests and welfare of transplantation in general or/and of the Society in particular. Such termination shall require two/third votes of the Ethics Committee and two/third votes of the Council, after the member in question is afforded an opportunity to appear before the ethics committee and the council and appeal for continuance of membership. Termination of membership may also occur if the member fails to make his/her patient’s records available to a review body of the Society for ethical reasons when requested to do so by the review body. Membership may be terminated also on failure to attend three successive meetings in succession without substantial reason.

SECTION 9:
A general assembly of the entire membership shall be called at least every second year by the Council and each general assembly shall coincide with the congress of the Society. All members may attend the general assembly but only regular members shall have the right to vote. The agenda for the general assembly shall be determined by the council and relevant subject can be added to the agenda by the members provided a written request to the President or the Secretary is given 30 days in advance of the general assembly. A report by the President, the Secretary-General, Treasurer shall be given during the general assembly. Reports of the individual committee chairmen to the Council shall be referred to by the President or Secretary General. At the general assembly meeting of the members, the officers and the councilors of the society will be elected and such other business as may properly come before the meeting shall be transacted by the membership.

SECTION 10:
Members may not vote by proxy.

SECTION 11:
At any meeting of the general assembly, which has been properly called with due notice as specified in these by-laws, the number of persons appearing for this meeting shall constitute the quorum necessary for the transaction of the business of the meeting. The maximum number of votes obtained by candidates nominated by the office shall constitute election to the said office. Affirmative action of the membership on all other matters shall consist of a majority of the members present.

SECTION 12:
Limitation of number of members in society will be determined by the council for all categories of membership.